12 



Tampa received a total of 970 sea water temperatures from passing 

 vessels; gave special ice information to 10 ships; and received a total 

 of 159 reports of ice. There were 71 ships during the cruise from which 

 we requested acknowledgment of receipt of the ice broadcast. 



THE SIXTH CRUISE, "MODOC," JUNE 10 TO 25, 1926 



The 11th and 12th were foggy days but June 13 it cleared and the 

 Modoc was headed westward in order to get into an advantageous 

 position for searching for any ice south of the Tail of the Bank. 

 Excellent visibility prevailed on the 14th and the Modoc for the 

 second day of clear weather was cruised at forced draft over a large 

 area where bergs were suspected. No ice was found, however, and 

 this fact was interpreted as indicating a great dwindling in the num- 

 ber of bergs from the high point earlier in the month. Not over three 

 weeks previously in this same locality there were drifting more than 

 20 icebergs. A few reports continued to be received from steamers 

 on the Cape Race tracks to the northward. 



The 15th of June the Modoc spent searching from a point 70 miles 

 west of the Tail along the forty-third parallel to the eastward about 

 90 miles. No ice was sighted and excellent visibility prevailed the 

 entire day except for a short time in the afternoon. When we 

 attempted to search northward, however, along the eastern slope of 

 the Bank a wall of fog was met. The water along the slope, with a 

 temperature of 46°, was 4° or 5° cooler than any other part of the 

 surrounding surface water. 



During the morning of the 16th we made another attempt to search 

 northward along the east edge of the Bank but a heavy fog wall was 

 soon entered which of course precluded all hopes of further ice search. 

 The afternoon and evening were spent occupying a line of oceano- 

 graphic stations extending south of the Tail, but this work had to be 

 abandoned late at night due to a severe southerly storm and sea. 



The storm ended on the 17th as suddenly as it had begun so we 

 were quick to take advantage of the clear visibility searching north- 

 ward as far as latitude 44° 30' in the ic}^ current. No ice was found 

 in the current and this was taken as a very hopeful sign that there 

 would be very few bergs able to drift as far as the Tail during the 

 rest of 1926. A small berg was reported well to the northwestward 

 on the southwest part of Bank, however, but its position was not 

 dangerous, and it was believed this ice was the same as that reported 

 on the 13th instant to the patrol, then grounded on the Tail. 



We were able to continue the patrol's search on the 18th still 

 farther to the northward, no bergs being found south of parallel 

 44° 45'. We anchored on the eastern side of the Bank on the 19th 

 and 20th. The steamer United States sighted a small berg southeast 

 of the Tail about 20 miles on the 19th but inasmuch as it was not 



